The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) and Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF (FHLC) both offer low-cost healthcare exposure with identical 0.08% expense ratios. XLV focuses on 60 mega-cap healthcare stocks and has delivered stronger 5-year returns ($1,332 vs $1,276 on $1,000 invested), higher dividend yield (1.60% vs 1.30%), and greater liquidity with $41.7B in AUM. FHLC provides broader diversification with 365 holdings including mid and small-cap stocks. Over 10 years, both underperformed the S&P 500 significantly, with XLV returning 157% (9.9% CAGR) and FHLC returning 159% (10.0% CAGR) versus the S&P 500's 301% (14.9% CAGR).

Novo Nordisk continues its DKK 15 billion share repurchase programme, having repurchased 25.9 million B shares worth DKK 7.16 billion as of 24 July 2026. The company has also filed a false advertising lawsuit against Eli Lilly over misleading GLP-1 medicine advertising campaigns.

The article compares two healthcare ETFs: VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH), which focuses exclusively on 25 pharmaceutical companies with higher returns but higher costs, and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV), which offers broader diversification across 60 healthcare positions with lower fees. While XLV outperforms over 10 years, PPH delivers superior 3-year and 5-year returns. The article recommends PPH for investors seeking recent performance gains, though XLV offers better cost efficiency and diversification.

The article recommends Eli Lilly and Intuitive Surgical as outstanding healthcare stocks to buy. Eli Lilly is positioned as a leader in the rapidly growing weight management medicine market with approved drugs like Zepbound and Foundayo, plus promising pipeline candidates like retatrutide. Intuitive Surgical, despite recent underperformance and headwinds, is viewed as a buying opportunity due to the successful launch of its da Vinci 5 surgical system and strong long-term prospects driven by innovation and high switching costs.

Scribe Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company focused on in vivo CRISPR technologies, priced its IPO at $15 per share, raising $128.7 million from 8.58 million shares. The company will begin trading on Nasdaq under ticker SCTX on July 24, 2026. Additionally, Sanofi agreed to purchase 500,000 shares in a concurrent private placement at the same price.

The article compares two healthcare-focused ETFs: iShares Global Healthcare ETF (IXJ) with 110 holdings offering global diversification and lower volatility, versus VanEck Biotech ETF (BBH) with 25 concentrated biotech positions delivering higher short-term returns but greater drawdown risk. IXJ is recommended for its superior long-term performance, geographic diversity, and stability despite BBH's impressive 30.8% one-year return.

First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund (FBT) offers concentrated exposure to 30 biotech stocks with 51.6% 1-year returns but higher volatility and a 0.55% expense ratio. Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) provides broader diversification across 400+ healthcare companies with lower costs (0.09% expense ratio) and dividend yield, making it better for long-term stability. FBT suits investors with high risk tolerance and biotech conviction, while VHT is recommended for those seeking healthcare as a portfolio stabilizer.

Cyllene Therapeutics announced the appointment of Alyssa Levin to its Board of Directors as Audit Committee Chair, along with two key executive hires: Clara Cambon-Thiebaud as VP of Regulatory Affairs and Céline Breda as VP of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls. These appointments strengthen the company's leadership as it advances its lead candidate EG110A toward late-stage clinical development for neurogenic bladder-related incontinence.

The article compares two healthcare-focused ETFs: Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE). VHT offers broader diversification with 411 holdings and a lower 0.09% expense ratio, while IHE provides concentrated pharmaceutical exposure with 56 holdings and has delivered superior 5-year returns (11.8% vs 5.4%). The author recommends IHE as the better buy for 2026 due to stronger recent performance and lower maximum drawdown, despite VHT's cost advantages.

The article compares two healthcare-focused ETFs: Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and Invesco Pharmaceuticals ETF (PJP). VHT offers broader sector exposure with 411 holdings, a lower expense ratio of 0.09%, and higher dividend yield of 1.60%. PJP focuses narrowly on 29 pharmaceutical stocks with a 0.57% expense ratio and 0.90% yield. Despite VHT's cost advantages, PJP has significantly outperformed over 3 and 5-year periods (17.3% and 9.1% returns respectively), leading the author to recommend PJP as the better buy for 2026.

The article recommends three dividend stocks suitable for long-term buy-and-hold investors: Pfizer, which is developing new blockbuster drugs and entering the obesity drug market; Coca-Cola, with 64 years of consecutive dividend increases and a resilient business model; and Brookfield Renewable, which offers recurring income from renewable energy assets with 5-9% annual dividend growth targets.

A multi-system study analyzing electronic health records from over 40,000 adults with alcohol use disorder found that GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide and tirzepatide) were associated with 22-26% lower risk of alcohol-related hospitalization in patients with type 2 diabetes, and 32% lower risk in patients with obesity, compared to alternative treatments. Researchers emphasize the need for randomized clinical trials to establish causation.